BAHAWALPUR, May 29: The Punjab government’s allotment committee has approved 4,056 applications out of 5,784 for allotment of land in Cholistan.

Cholistan Development Authority Managing Director Maj-Gen Abdul Razzaq (retired) told Dawn on Wednesday that these applications had been approved after a scrutiny in first phase of the programme.

He said balloting of applications would be held for allotment of land to the people in Cholistan. The second phase of approval of pending cases would begin later, he added.

BUSTED: The district police on Wednesday claimed to have busted two gangs of car and motorbike thieves in Bahawalpur and Hasilpur, respectively.

According to police sources, the CIA on a tip-off arrested two brothers Atif Ashraf and Kashif Ashraf and an excise department official who used to issue fake numbers of stolen cars.

Police said their two accomplices Salman and Ihtesham were at large.

The police claimed to have recovered six cars from their possession.

In Hasilpur, police claimed they had arrested ring leader Shahzad and his accomplices Wasim Anwar and Bashir Ahmad and recovered 26 motorbikes worth Rs1.3 million.